S.O.A.P. for 03/03/2009 Be Fruitful

S: Mark 11:12-14
Now the next day, when they had come out of Bethany, He was hungry - And seeing from afar a fig tree having leaves, He went to see if perhaps He could find something on it. When He came to it, He found nothing but leaves, for it was not the season for figs. In response, Jesus said to it," Let no one eat fruit from you ever again."

O: Fig trees were a popular source of inexpensive food in Israel. The tree itself takes 3 years to bear fruit, and once it does it will bear fruit TWICE every year. When the leaves grow, the figs appear and grow as well, so even though it wasn't the "season" for figs, meaning ready to pick, there still should have been "something" on it growing until said time. Leaves = figs. The tree looked promising from afar, but upon closer inspection, it offered no fruit - it was like the White Washed Tombs that Jesus labeled the Pharisees. He may have been comparing the tree to Israel, fruitful in appearance, but spiritually barren. After noticing that, He goes further by punishing the tree/Israel, to never be fruitful again.

A: Jesus knew that when a tree no longer produces fruit, it's time was up, and the tree was basically a lost cause. Anyone who spent time in trying to revive the barren tree would be wasting their time, when they could move to a new tree who could use the love and care to be fruitful. He also felt this was about Israel. Their roots did not go deep, and they were quick to fall into sinful traps and become unfruitful.

How can I choose to NOT be "seasonal" but to bear fruit continuously? I must choose to produce fruit each and every day, and be increasing my knowledge and improving my gifts so that the fruit offered up to the Lord is more and more bountiful and sweet. I can only hope to never be caught up in a time of "wilting" that God would deem me to be no longer useful or able to produce fruit. I must strive to remain useful and never to choose to be lazy and not improve what I can offer to His glory~!

P: Father God, Yahweh,
You are truly worthy of all I have to give, and You are truly a Father that loves us and wants the best for us. Let me be able to prove my love to You each and every day, Lord. I pray that what fruit I have to give is always deemed suitable to You. Lord, please, I pray, that You continue to teach me and fill me and keep me useful. I pray that I never get to a place where I don't think I have to do anything else, that I've done all I want to do do, that it's been enough, and become complacent. Lord, I fear that if I ever reside too long in that place, You may tell me that "No one may ever eat of my fruit again!" My purpose in life is to serve You, so how empty my life would become if there was no purpose! May I always be filled with the desire to fertilize my soil and prune my branches that I may prove to be a bountiful harvest for You, Lord. I pray that I may forever be ripe for the picking, and fruitful enough to share with others, that they may be fed with my fruit as well.

In Jesus Name.
Amen

One day I was full of life
My sap was rich and I was strong
From seed to tree I grew so tall
Through wind and rain I could not fall

But now my branches suffer
And my leaves don't offer
Poetry to men of song
*Beach Boys*